Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation of greenhouse-grown Brassica rapa ssp. oleifera

Greenhouse-grown plants of turnip rape Brassica rapa ssp. oleifera (syn. B. campestris) cv. Valtti and Sisu were transformed by Agrobacterium tumefaciens infection. Of the three A. tumefaciens strains tested (C58C1, EHA105 and LBA4404), LBA4404 gave the best results. Segments excised from one to two upper internodes of an inflorescence-carrying stem served as explants for the Agrobacterium infection. Cultivation of the explants horizontally during the first 3 days of co-cultivation with A. tumefaciens following immediate selection of transformed tissue of the stem segments placed vertically basal side down were critical. Use of silver nitrate (5–10 mg/l) in the culture medium and Micropore (3 M) paper tape for sealing plates was also beneficial. Transgenic shoots were recovered using either hygromycin or kanamycin (20–25 mg/l) selection. Hygromycin was preferable, as the proportion of `escapes' was 90% under kanamycin and 10% under hygromycin selection. Regeneration was achieved by culturing the explants for 3–6 days on 0.5 mg/l of 2,4-di-chlorophenoxyacetic acid and 1–2 weeks on 2–3 mg/l of 6-benzyl aminopurine with/without 0.05 mg/l α-naphthaleneacetic acid. Recovered shoots were then cultured on hormone-free MS medium. This culture program gave 60–80% shoot regeneration. Regenerants were tested by histological β-glucuronidase staining and Southern blotting. The recovery rate of transgenic shoots was 4–9% of the number of explants used in the experiments. Received: 28 November 1997 / Revision received: 25 March 1998 / Accepted: 22 November 1998     

Low temperature-induced modifications in cell ultrastructure and localization of phenolics in winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L. var. oleifera L.) leaves

Acclimation of winter oilseed plants in the cold (i.e. at temperatures >0 degrees C) followed by short exposure to sub-lethal freezing temperatures resulted in pronounced ultrastructural changes of leaf epidermal and mesophyll cells. The following major changes were observed upon acclimation at 2 degrees C: increased thickness of cell walls; numerous invaginations of plasma membranes; the appearance of many large vesicles localized in the cytoplasm in close proximity to the central vacuole; the occurrence of abundant populations of microvesicles associated with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) cisternae or located in the vicinity of dictyosomes; and the occurrence of paramural bodies and myelin-like structures. In addition, large phenolic deposits were observed in the vicinity of the plasma membrane and membrane-bound organelles such as chloroplasts, large vesicles or cytoplasm/tonoplast interfaces. Transient freezing (-5 degrees C for 18 h) of the cold-acclimated leaves led to reversible disorganization of the cytoplasm and to pronounced structural changes of the cellular organelles. Chloroplasts were swollen, with the stroma occupying one half of their volume and the thylakoid system being displaced to the other half. Large phenolic aggregates disappeared but distinct layers of phenolic deposits were associated with mitochondrial membranes and with chloroplast envelopes. In frost-thawed cells recovered at 2 degrees C for 24 h, dictyosomes and dictyosome- or ER-derived small vesicles reappeared in the ribosome-rich cytoplasm. Aberrations in the structure of chloroplasts and mitochondria were less pronounced. Few phenolic deposits were seen as small grains associated with chloroplast envelopes and vesicle membranes. These observations demonstrate that plants undergo different changes in cell ultrastructure depending on whether they are subjected to chilling or freezing temperatures. Results are discussed in relation to membrane recycling and the possible role of phenolics during the first and second stages of plant acclimation at low temperature.     

Direct somatic embryogenesis, plant regeneration and in vitro flowering in rapid-cycling Brassica napus

 A simple method to induce somatic embryogenesis from seeds of rapid-cycling Brassica napus is described. Seedlings cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium produced somatic embryos directly on hypocotyls and cotyledons after 2 to 3 subcultures onto the same medium. A low pH of the medium (3.5–5) was more conducive to somatic embryogenesis than a higher pH (6 and 7). Embryogenic potential of the seeds was inversely correlated to seed age: about 41–68% of immature seeds between the ages of 14 and 28 days after pollination (DAP) formed somatic embryos compared to 0–11% of the seeds obtained 29–37 DAP. About 54% of the somatic embryos produced secondary embryos after subculturing onto the same medium. The embryogenic potential of the cultures has been maintained on MS basal medium for 2 years (12 generations) without diminution. Up to 75% of the secondary embryos developed into plantlets on MS medium enriched with 10^–6  M zeatin, and 40% of these produced flowers when transferred to an optimised flower-induction medium. Viable seeds were produced in self-pollinated in vitro flowers. Received: 15 February 2000 / Revision received: 18 July 2000 / Accepted: 19 July 2000     

Drought adaptability of Agrobacterium rhizogenes-induced roots in oilseed rape (Brassica napus var. oleifera)

Abstract. Soil grown oilseed rape ( Brassica napus L. var. oleifera M., cv. Darmor) seedlings at the cotyledon stage (one week old), were inoculated in vivo at the base of the hypocotyl with Agrobacterium rhizogenes harbouring the pRi 15834 plasmid. Resulting adventitious root formation was observable about 2 or 3 weeks after infection. Differential Ri-induced root emergence and subsequent development occurred depending on water conditions and closeness of the wounding site to the soil surface: either thin, hairy roots growing rapidly and plagiotropically at the soil level under humid atmosphere, or hairless and fleshy, slowly growing aerial roots developed. The hairy roots were highly drought susceptible, whereas aerial roots revealed some potential for drought tolerance. Unlike normal roots, none of these Ri-induced roots appeared able to give rise to drought rhizogenesis in plants subjected to progressive drought stress. However, under hardening, achieved through successive and moderate drought stress-rehydration cycles, both types of Ri-induced roots improved drought tolerance and could express the morphogenetic differentiation programme leading to the formation of short, tuberized, drought-adapted, roots. These results, discussed in terms of hormonal imbalance and drought tolerance regulation, suggest that the Ri T-DNA gene expression, responsible for adventitious root induction and growth behaviour, is further regulated through the host plant.     

不结球白菜细胞质雄性不育相关基因的克隆及表达

从不结球白菜CMS新种质中分离得到的一个cDNA-AFLP差异片段,采用RT-PCR和RACE技术成功克隆了一个α-微管基因的cDNA全长序列,命名为TUBA2(DDBJ登录号为AB445012)。序列分析结果表明,该基因全长1 709 bp,最大开放阅读框为1 353 bp,编码450个氨基酸序列,与已公布的α-微管基因有较高的同源性。系统进化树分析发现,该基因在不同植物间具有高度保守性。Southern杂交表明TUBA2属于不结球白菜多基因家族的一个单一克隆基因。实时定量RT-PCR检测表明,该基因在不育系中的表达量显著低于保持系,同时在不同组织和细胞减数分裂不同时期该基因的表达量也存在明显差异。     

Effects of culture density,conditioned medium and feeder cultures on microspore embryogenesis in Brassica napus L. cv. Topas

Summary In microspore cultures of Brassica napus L. cv. Topas, embryo yield increases with culture density up to about 40,000 microspores per ml. A much higher density (100,000 per ml) appears inhibitory to embryogenesis. A relatively high culture density (30,000 or 40,000 per ml) for the first 2–4 days of culture is crucial for embryogenesis, after which cultures may be diluted to allow better embryo growth.Medium conditioned by culturing microspores at 30,000 or 40,000 per ml for 1 day improved microspore-embryo yield in low density cultures (3,000 or 4,000 per ml) more than 3-fold. In contrast, media conditioned with microspores from 1–4 days or 0–4 days of culture were inhibitory.Use of feeder cultures resulted in up to 10-fold increase of embryo yield in low density microspore cultures, depending on the method used. Filter papers and other membranes placed on top of feeders greatly inhibited embryogenesis in the feeder layer as well as microspores cultured on the feeder, possibly due to poorer gaseous exchange.     

Cold-deacclimation of oilseed rape (Brassica napus var. oleifera) in response to fluctuating temperatures and photoperiod

The aim of this work was to establish the role of factors that may trigger elongation growth in the dehardening response, namely temperature during daylight, photoperiod and vernalization. Fully cold-acclimated seedlings of winter (with incomplete vernalization) and spring oilseed rape were subjected to deacclimation under temperatures of 2/12, 12/2, 12/12, 12/20, 20/12 and 20/20 degrees C (day/night) and a 12 h photoperiod. Plants were also deacclimated under photoperiods of 8 and 16 h at constant temperatures of 12 and 20 degrees C. After deacclimation, plants were subjected to reacclimation. Results suggest that the level of growth activity induced during deacclimation affects both the deacclimation rate and the capacity for reacclimation. Deacclimation is fully reversible if it is not accompanied by induction of elongation growth. In such cases the rate of the decrease in freezing tolerance depends on the mean temperature of deacclimation. Deacclimation becomes partially or completely irreversible when it is connected with promotion of elongation growth. The stimuli triggering elongation growth during deacclimation may be the growth-promoting temperature (20 degrees C) during the day and the lack of vernalization blockage of elongation growth. When elongation growth was stimulated by other factors such as long-day treatments, rehardening was also disturbed.     

结球白菜下胚轴原生质体培养及其体细胞胚植株再生

结球白菜（Brassica campestris ssp．pekinensis）的原生质体培养由于基因型依赖性强,细胞易褐化,愈伤组织的芽诱导率低等而难于再生植株。本实验以结球白菜的下胚轴原生质体为试材,研究了影响其细胞分裂及愈伤组织形成的因素,探索了经过体细胞胚发生途径获得再生植株的技术。结果表明,试材的基因型及培养基组成影响细胞分裂及褐化;KM8P是结球白菜原生质体培养更适宜的培养基,能显著减轻细胞的褐化;液体培养基中一定浓度的活性炭能在一定程度上减轻细胞褐化进程,并有利于星状细胞团的形成;基因型Asko中,愈伤组织形成体细胞胚的结构,其发生的频率约为5％,该类体细胞胚能全部顺利地发育成完整植株。本技术具有再生植株形成容易、频率较高且通过体细胞胚发生途径等优点。     

High frequency plant regeneration from thin cell layer explants of Brassica napus

Explants composed of the epidermis and 4–9 layers of subepidermal cells were excised from internodes of Brassica napus L. ssp. oleifera cv. Westar and cultured on modified Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium. The three or four terminal internodes excised from plants at an early stage (before any flower buds had opened) were shown to be the best explant source. Both cytokinin and auxin were required for induction of shoot organogenesis. Of six auxins tested, only naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) was effective in shoot bud initiation. All four cytokinins tested (when associated with 0.5 mgl^-1 NAA) promoted organogenesis, but at differing frequencies. The highest shoot induction frequency was obtained at 10–15 mgl^-1 benzyladenine (BA). The organogenic response was strongly affected by the nitrogen content of the medium. The best response was observed when NO₃ ^- was the sole nitrogen source (supplied as KNO₃) in the range 30–90 mM. Sucrose and glucose were equally supportive in shoot regeneration with the optimal levels at 0.12 M and 0.15 M, respectively. Shoots were rooted on medium free of growth regulators and mature plants were grown in the greenhouse. Plants were also recovered from leafy structures which differed morphologically and histologically from shoot buds.     

Identification of potentially embryogenic microspores in Brassica napus

Studies were undertaken with Brassica napus L. cv. Topas to identify buds containing microspores predisposed to embryogenesis in vitro and to investigate bud and microspore development in relation to this process. No significant correlation was found between the final embryo number and bud components. There appears to be a developmental window of less than 8 h duration during which microspores are very likely to form embryos: over 70% of the microspores can undergo division and up to 70% of these can form embryos. Embryos were mainly obtained from late uninuucleate to early binucleate microspores: the former contained mainly a G2 or M phase nucleus located at the microspore periphery and the latter a generative nucleus (associated with the intine) and a vegetative nucleus. Observations indicated that only the vegetative nucleus contributed to embryo formation. The first embryogenic division occurred between 8 and 16 h for uninucleate- and between 8 and 48 h for binucleate-derived embryos.     

甘蓝型油菜与蓝花子远缘杂交及双二倍体的合成研究

甘蓝型油菜品种奥罗×蓝花子杂种Ｆ-１,平均配对构型为１２．１Ⅰ＋６．５３Ⅱ＋０．４１Ⅲ＋０．１８Ⅳ＋０．１８Ⅴ,Ａ、Ｃ染色体组与Ｒ染色体间存在配对,它们之间具有一定的同源性。在甘蓝型油菜与蓝花子的杂种Ｆ-１代中,存在一种染色体不配对的减数分裂类型。这一类型中有少量可形成平衡的不减数配子。提供了油菜与蓝花子远缘杂种回交结实的细胞学根据。在ＭＳ＋０．２ｍｇ／ＬＮＡＡ＋３ｍｇ／ＬＢＡ＋１ｇ／Ｌ秋水仙碱＋３０ｇ／Ｌ蔗糖＋８ｇ／Ｌ琼脂的培养基中,接种甘蓝型油菜奥罗与蓝花子的杂种Ｆ-１进行加倍处理,经快速繁殖后,获得大量的染色体数为２ｎ＝５６的双二倍体幼苗。上述双二倍体自交结实,在减数分裂中绝大多数细胞形成２８个二价体,个别形成２６个二价体和１个四价体。上述技术在油菜与蓝花子远缘杂交中首次解决了用常规方法不易获取远种杂种稳定双二倍体的难题。甘蓝型油菜品种Ａｌｔｅｘ×蓝花子杂种Ｆ-１代,长时间的快速繁殖后,出现了染色体丢失和加倍,有形成１９条染色体的配子回复到甘蓝型油菜染色体组成的趋势。在油菜远缘杂种中发现了类似于球茎大麦远缘杂种中染色体丢失的现象。     

不结球白菜BcTuR1基因的克隆及表达

从不结球白菜抗芜菁花叶病毒(TuMV)品种‘短白梗'中克隆到一个抗TuMV相关基因,命名为BcTuR1(GenBank登录号FJ600374).该基因核苷酸序列全长1 019 bp,编码162个氨基酸.BcTuR1基因与芥菜抗病毒基因相似性最高为96%,其它没有与该基因相似性高于50%的序列.基因组DNA杂交表明,BcTuR1可能属于一个较小的多基因家族.实时定量PCR检测表明,芜菁花叶病毒能够诱导不结球白菜BcTuR1基因的转录表达,其在不结球白菜叶片中的表达特征说明它可能参与寄主对病毒的抗性.     

Cytological Characterization of Multicellular Structures in Embryogenic Microspore Cultures of Brassica napus L.

We investigated an embryogenic microspore culture from Brassica napus L. cv. “Topas”, 3 days after induction of embryogenesis, using light and electron microscopical techniques. According to our observations, 6 groups of uni- or multicellular structures could be distinguished by differences in size, wall structure, structure and distribution of organelles and the degree of vacuolisation. Only one multicellular group represents real proembryos which are able to form embryos and to regenerate plants. These 6 groups could be detected in living cultures using an inverted microscope. The cell size and the degree of vacuolization are especially useful markers to distinguish the groups. Separate cultivation of the multicellular complexes of the 6 groups in culture plate inserts from the third day of culture proved that only one group contains real proembryos.     

Stable isotope carbon study: long-term partitioning during progressive drought stress in Brassica napus var. oleifera

Abstract. Long-term carbon partitioning was analysed by stable carbon isotope labelling of CO₂ during the adaptive response of Brassica napus to progressive drought stress. This method allowed us to distinguish between the pre-existing carbon, which had accumulated before the change in CO₂ isotope composition (on 20 d) and the recent photosynthetic input occurring during the following period. Three successive adaptive phases characterized the plant response to drought. In the first period of water shortage (20–30 d), growth was progressively slowed down: the recent C input (28.3 mg per plant) was mainly allocated to mature leaves (14 mg) and roots (8.9 mg); the pre-existing C chains were partly lost by respiration (12.1 mg) and partly translocated to the apex (2.3 mg). The increase in dry matter (13.0 mg) was mainly due to the recent C input (19.1 mg) in shoots but the roots appeared also as an important sink despite their small dry matter increase (3.2 mg). Root dry matter turnover corresponded to the elimination of pre-existing C chains (6.0 mg) and their renewal with the recent C input (9.2 mg). Root sink strength was related also to the development of drought-induced short tuberized roots (0.1 mg from pre-existing C and 0.3 mg from recent C). In the second period of water stress (from 30 to 40 d), the whole plant biomass remained constant in spite of efficient allocations from pre-existing and recent C sources to two main sinks: shoot apex (3.1 and 5.4 mg, respectively) and short tuberized roots (1.0 and 0.2 mg, respectively). The hypocotyl acted as a transient storage organ for the recent C input (2.0 mg). In the third period of recovery upon rehydration (from 46 to 51 d), the short tuberized roots gave rise to a new root system using C chains from pre-existing and recent sources (1.7 and 2.8 mg, respectively). Such concomitant sink-source behaviour of tuberized roots underlines the adaptive value of drought rhizogenesis.     

Plant regeneration from thin cell layers in Spinacia oleracea

Caulogenesis and somatic embryogenesis were induced from transverse thin cell layers (tTCLs) of two European (Spinacia oleracea L.) spinach genotypes. Regeneration occurred mostly when tTCLs had been excised from seedlings grown on a preconditioning medium consisting of White's macroelements, Nitsch's microelements, Murashige and Skoog's (MS) vitamins, 6 g l^–1 agar and 20 g l^–1 glucose. The explants were cultured on MS medium supplemented with sucrose (10, 30, 50 or 80 g l^–1) or fructose (5, 10 or 30 g l^–1) and several combinations of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), -naphtalene acetic acid (NAA), 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and gibberellic acid (GA₃). Most of the regeneration events were obtained from root explants of the cultivar Carpo. The best result was observed on MS medium supplemented with 50 g l^–1 sucrose, 100 M NAA, 1 M BAP and 10 M GA₃. After an 8-week culture, the calluses were transferred onto MS medium where shoots and somatic embryos appeared 1 week later. The best root development was obtained on MS medium supplemented with 4.9 M indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and 8 g l^–1 Phytagel. The plantlets were, then, transferred to soil and developed into well-conformed, fertile plants.